Cake box
20pt SBS200 minimum · 10 to 12 business daysA cake box is a lock-corner paperboard box with a tuck-in lid, built deep and stiff enough to carry a layer cake on a board. We produce them on 20pt food-contact SBS from 200 units, in 10 to 12 business days after proof, plain white, kraft or printed. The common sizes are 10 by 10 by 5 and 12 by 12 by 6 inches.
When to choose it, and when not to
Choose a cake box when the contents are tall, heavy or decorated, which means a lid that lifts straight up and walls that will not bow when the box is carried by its base. 20pt board holds a 12 inch two-layer cake without flexing, and the front-loading style lets you slide a finished cake in without touching the icing. It is the box for bakeries, wedding cake makers and grocery bakeries, and it stacks flat in a fraction of the space of a plastic dome.
Choose a bakery box with a window for pastries and cookies under 4 inches tall, where a window sells the product and the extra board thickness is wasted. Choose a cupcake box with an insert for anything that needs to be held in place, since a plain cake box lets small items slide.
Specifications
| Board | 20pt SBS, virgin fiber, food-contact grade, inside unprinted; documentation supplied with the quote |
|---|---|
| One color flexo or full color offset on the outside | |
| Finish | Uncoated, matte aqueous or gloss aqueous outside |
| Closure | Lock corners with a tuck-in lid, or a front-loading lid with a tab |
| Base | Optional corrugated cake board, plain or printed, sized to the box |
| Insert | Optional window in the lid, clear PET |
| Minimum | 200 units |
| Lead time | 10 to 12 business days after proof |
| Ships | Flat, in bundles of 25 |
| Sizes we run | 8 x 8 x 4 in 10 x 10 x 5 in 12 x 12 x 6 in 14 x 14 x 6 in any size from 6 x 6 x 3 to 16 x 16 x 8 in |
Materials that suit it
Questions people ask
How tall can the box be?
Up to 8 inches on 20pt board before the walls start to flex on a full-size cake. For a tiered cake over 8 inches we move to 24pt board or a corrugated base with a paperboard sleeve. Measure your tallest decoration and add 1 inch of clearance so the lid does not touch the icing.
Does it come with a cake board?
Not by default. Bakeries usually stock cake boards already, and the box is sized so a standard board sits inside with a quarter inch to spare. We can supply a matching corrugated board, plain or printed with your logo, cut to the same order. Tell us the box size and we match it.
Can the lid open from the front?
Yes. The front-loading style has a lid that hinges back and a front panel that folds down, so you slide the cake in on its board rather than lowering it from above. It is the safest way to box a decorated cake and it is the same board and lead time as the standard lid.
Is the board safe for food?
Yes. The SBS is virgin fiber, food-contact grade, and the inside is left unprinted. Ink and any coating sit on the outside only. A cake usually sits on a board rather than directly on the box, but the box is rated for direct contact with dry and fatty baked goods either way.
Can I add a window?
Yes, a clear PET window in the lid, any shape. Keep it under about 60 percent of the lid area on a cake box, because the lid is the part that keeps the walls square when the box is carried. On a 14 inch box we usually suggest a window no wider than 9 inches.
How is the cake box different from the cake slice box?
The cake box is deep and stiff for a whole cake: 20pt food-contact SBS, lock corners with a tuck-in or front-loading lid, and an optional corrugated cake board, from 200 units in 10 to 12 business days after proof. The cake slice box is a small wedge or rectangular carton for one slice, with clearance so the lid does not touch the frosting, from 300 units in 8 to 10 business days. Whole cakes need the cake box; a slice counter needs the slice box.
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Ready to price your cake box?
Send the size and quantity for a quote and a dieline, usually within one business day. Your digital proof follows, usually within one business day of your artwork. Design help and the Swatch Book of materials are free.